Dan Scanlon

Dan Scanlon grew up in Michigan with a passion for art, animation, and movies. In 1998 he graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design with an illustration degree. He worked at a small studio in Ohio as animator until the studio moved him into the story department, a move he says he is extremely grateful for. He animated on Joseph: King of Dreams and the short The Indescribable Nth. He also did storyboard work on 101 Dalmatians: Patch’s London Adventure and The Little Mermaid 2: Return to Sea.

Dan joined Pixar in 2001 as a storyboard artist for Cars. He went on to write and co-direct the Cars short Mater and the Ghost Light.

Dan wrote, directed, and produced his own film Tracy in 2009. Tracy is a mockumentary about a filmmaker searching for the person responsible in the shooting of the 1970’s children’s show host, Tracy Knapp. The film’s tagline reads, “A generation of kids loved him to death, until someone killed him to death.” Pixarians such as Mark Andrews, Bob Petersen, and Teddy Newton make their live-action acting debut in this film alongside Dan and several others. Tracy won Best Michigan Feature at the First Detroit Independent Film Festival while Dan won Best Director.

Dan is currently directing Monsters University, slated for June 21st, 2013. Dan currently lives with his wife Michelle in San Francisco.